As Iran navigates war and people are losing lives, a shadow of grief has fallen over Iranipara in Pandaveswar, West Burdwan, popularly known as ‘Little Iran’.
Residents have suspended this year’s Eid celebrations, even as the Muslim world prepares to mark the festival tomorrow.
“We are observing a 40-day mourning period and have suspended this year’s Eid celebrations,” said local resident Rustam Ali. The community comprises descendants of Iranians who fled political persecution over a century and a half ago and took refuge in India.
With repeated strikes hitting Iran’s skyline and reports of buildings and schools collapsing across different regions, the Iranian community in Pandaveswar remains on edge, closely following the developments on news channels and hoping for an end to the conflict.
More than a hundred Iranian families have lived in Pandaveswar for several decades, and the locality now has access to basic government amenities. During the holy month of Ramadan, residents are observing a 40-day mourning period following the death of their supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. Black flags have been placed at street corners, and the usual festive spirit of Eid has been replaced by visible anxiety across all age groups.
“The state government has provided us with water, electricity, housing and other facilities here. We have no problems living here. But we cannot accept the way our country is being attacked. Iran is facing these attacks because it refused to submit to the United States,” said Amjad Ali, another resident.
Over time, many Iranian families came to India for trade and eventually settled here. They once travelled to what was then the world’s largest market to conduct business in Iranian food and other products. While some later returned to Iran, many embraced Indian culture and chose to remain permanently.
An elderly resident, Gholam Hossein Ali, said: “I have lived here since birth. Ayatollah Khamenei was our supreme religious leader. He was unjustly killed and became a martyr while trying to protect ordinary Iranians.”
“My grandfather, Syed Shiraz Alam Ali, settled here nearly a century ago, drawn by the prosperity of Bengal and the compassion of its people. We lived in tents near railway tracks and continued our trade,” added Ashiq Ali, regarded as a fatherly figure in the community.
Today, Iranian families are found in several parts of India, including Agra, Delhi and Murshidabad in West Bengal. In Pandaveswar, in West Burdwan district, around 350 people of Iranian origin are engaged in businesses such as selling spectacles and gemstones.
Although many left Iran decades ago, their emotional ties to their homeland remain strong. They continue to closely monitor the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
The community regards Ayatollah Khamenei as its supreme religious guide. Following confirmation of his death, the entire locality entered a period of deep mourning, which still continues.
Women in the area are also deeply affected. While they acknowledge the advantages of living in West Bengal ~ earning livelihoods through door-to-door sales of handmade products ~ they say the attacks on their homeland have taken away any sense of joy.